Manny Pacquiao is ready to fight again, after he lost

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A true fighter, Philippine boxing icon and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao said he is ready to fight again after losing by knockout to Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez.
In the sixth round of their non-title welterweight bout on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Marquez finally got his first win over Pacquiao in four attempts.

The 39-year-old Mexican lost twice and drawn once in his three previous fights against the 33-year-old Pacquiao.

With just a second left in the round, Marquez's stinging right hand sent Pacquiao face first to the canvas.

In the post-fight interview, Pacquiao hinted he was not going to retire anytime soon, saying he  will rest for a while but "after a few months, back to training and back to fight."

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum also remained open to the possibility of a fifth fight against Marquez.
 
"Why not? People love this action." said Arum. "This fight will go down in history as a ring classic. If they wanna fight again, why not?"
 
Pacquiao too was willing to face Marquez again. "No problem. That's up to my promoter," the Philippine congressman said.

On being knocked out, he said that was part of boxing. Pacquiao admitted that he lost after becoming overconfident during the fight.

Second loss in a row

Pacquiao, who will turn 34 on December 17, is the first eight-division world champion, and the first to win the Lineal Championship in four different weight classes.

He is a three-time The Ring and BWAA "Fighter of the Year" (for 2006, 2008, and 2009) and the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2009 and 2011.

Pacquiao was also named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).

However, his loss to Marquez is already his second in row after losing to American Tim Bradley in June this year.

The financial magazine Forbes said Pacquiao's loss "could negate a $100 million future payday for Manny which would be earned from a dream match-up against Floyd Mayweather that some estimate is worth $250 million in PPV (pay-per-view) sales."

According to a Forbes estimate, Pacquiao earned $62 million between July 2011 and June 2012, including around $6 million in endorsements.

'Boxing is my passion'

In an earlier interview with the news site LA Times, Pacquiao said "Boxing is my passion. Public service is my calling.”

He also explained why he had a strong motivation to help others.

“I know the life of nothing. I know what those who ask me for money are feeling," he said.

Pacquiao started his boxing career as a no-name boxer training at a shabby gym. He never gave up on his dreams and he is now among the richest men in the Philippines.

Despite his success, Pacquiao remains humble and approachable.

Recently, his wife Jinkee recently brought in a group of 20 friends who wanted to exchange pleasantries with Pacquiao during his training.

He didn't decline, causing the delay of one sparring session.

Some weeks ago, Pacquiao let a pastor preach to him and his friends until 2:00 a.m. before a training day.

This infuriated his trainer Freddie Roach who wanted to keep Pacquiao in top shape.

Fierce rivals

The Pacquiao-Marquez rivalry is said to be one of the biggest in the world of boxing.

Days before their fight on Sunday, during Pacquiao's training session at the University of Las Vegas oval track, the two rivals shared the track while training, according to a report of GMA Network's “News to Go” program.

They didn't talk with each other but Pacquiao shook the hand of Nacho Beristain, Marquez's trainer.

Although Marquez became bulkier, Pacquiao said that he wasn't the slightest bit nervous pointing out that boxing wasn't a body building contest.

Marquez on the other hand said he was more than ready for their fourth bout and that he trained not only his strength but also his speed. 

Manny Pacquiao knocked out in 6th round

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Juan Manuel Marquez recorded a shocking upset over Manny Pacquiao with a massive right hand in the sixth round that gave him his first victory over Pac-Man.
The fourth meeting between these two fighters generated a significant amount of hype, and the bout still somehow managed to exceed expectations.
It was clear from the start that Pacquiao was active, in shape and ready to fight. It only took until the second round for the announcers to start gushing over Pac-Man's legendary straight left hand.
But it was Marquez who landed the first blow, knocking down Pacquiao in the third round with a hard right hand. Nevertheless, the Filipino fighter was able to get up and regain control of the fight.
In the fifth round, he evened the score by catching Marquez with a straight left hand and knocking down the Mexican fighter.
With an advantage on the scorecard, Pacquiao just needed to avoid Marquez' lethal counter punches. But in the sixth round, Marquez found an opening when Pacquiao attacked and landed a vicious punch directly to Pac-Man's face.
The Filipino star dropped straight to the canvas, and the fight ended as a victory for Marquez via knockout. This is Marquez' first victory over Pacquiao and the first time any of their matchups ended early.
It was a shocking result and after an incredible bout, fans certainly wouldn't mind seeing a fifth fight.

Manny Pacquiao cries for his lose

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HOLLYWOOD—Manny Pacquiao shed tears on Philippine television on Monday, saying he had let his country down.

But don’t count him out yet. A devastating knockout loss to his great Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez won’t make him quit boxing.

“I’m ready to fight in April,” Pacquiao told Manila-based sportswriters in a customized luxury bus that took them from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to Hollywood.

Pacquiao announced the date for his comeback fight to end all speculations about his boxing future following his sixth-round loss to Marquez in their fourth encounter on Saturday.

In Hollywood, the Pacquiaos were brought to their $2-million house near Hancock Park, where they were to spend the night. In  the garage were Pacquiao’s service car, a Mercedes Benz and his Ferrari 458 Italia, acquired just last year.

Interviewed on GMA network, Pacquiao indicated how deeply he felt the disappointment of his followers back home.

“The low morale, the sadness, I accept that. This is my job … But the reaction of the Filipinos, the many who cried, especially my family, it really hurts me,” he told the network.

The former eight-division world champion wiped tears from his eyes listening to his wife, Jinkee, make a tearful appeal on camera for her husband, who turns 34 next week, to hang up his gloves.

“When you see your husband get hurt, you cannot even sleep,” she said in the interview.

Asked if she wanted her husband to retire from boxing, she said: “You know the answer to that. He knows what I am asking him.”

In the bus, Pacquiao told the sportswriters that Saturday’s loss to Marquez “was similar to what happened to me against (Rustico) Torrecampo.” He was referring to his third-round knockout defeat on Feb. 9, 1996, when he was still fighting at 110 pounds.

“I got nailed by a sneaky punch that caught me in the chin coming in,” Pacquiao said in Filipino. “If it were in the jaw, I can withstand it.”

5th fight

Swinging as if he was shadowboxing, Pacquiao admitted he got careless with Marquez because he wanted to put up a strong showing to end the sixth round.

“I faked twice and he got me [with that right] as I stumbled,” he said.

Despite the one-punch knockout that left him motionless—face down on the canvas for over a minute—Pacquiao said he was raring for a fifth fight with Marquez to get even. “Yes, why not.”

“Marquez was lucky. The next fight, I’ll get him,” he said, adding that he had intended to finish his Mexican rival in the seventh or eighth round to give fans what they wanted—an explosive fight.

“I saw his nose bleeding and that he had difficulty breathing,” Pacquiao said. “I was also told that his corner was ready to stop the fight in the seventh.”

Pacquiao fell short as Marquez, dubbed “El Dinamita,” threw a dynamite right that exploded on his face and knocked him out cold.

Despite the loss, Pacquiao said he was satisfied he was able to give the fans an explosive fight.

“Don’t fight if you don’t want to lose,” he said. “That’s sports.”

As a routine procedure, he was taken after the bout to the trauma unit of University Medical Center, where he underwent medical tests, including a CT scan, to find out if he had suffered a concussion.

The result was negative and he was cleared to return to his penthouse suite at the hotel.

He will be under observation for three days, although he was allowed to make the five-hour trip to Hollywood, including a traditional stop at midpoint Barstow.

No fight with Mayweather

Since he suffered no major head injuries, Pacquiao is deemed fit to fight again next year. Against whom and when, there’s no clear development yet.

While a lucrative fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is off the radar at the moment, the continuation of his ring saga with Marquez may be in the horizon.

Promoter Bob Arum, while hesitant to stage an immediate rematch because of the punishment sustained by both fighters, with Marquez suspected of having a broken nose, the 81-year-old big boss of Top Rank is reportedly being bombarded with requests for a Pacquiao-Marquez 5.

Another possible opponent, if Pacquiao’s original schedule of April 20 for his next fight is followed, is rising star Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, a toe-to-toe fighter whose style should suit Pacquiao’s  just fine.

While Pacquiao also has a score to settle with Timothy Bradley, who beat him by a dubious split decision, Arum is not keen on the proposition, as their fight in June was a disappointment at the gates and failed to generate a million PPV (pay-per-view) buys.

In contrast, the Pacquiao-Marquez 4 was a blockbuster, with a sellout crowd of 16,348, gate receipts of $10.5 million and an assured 1 million plus PPV hits, which could put Pacquiao’s total income for the fight at between $25 million to $30 million.

Pacquiao is willing to take on anybody Arum will put in front of him since he wants redemption for the humiliation he suffered in Marquez’s hands.

Pacquiao and wife Jinkee are scheduled to take the Monday flight to Manila, arriving in the Philippines on Wednesday for the birthday of their son, Jimwell.

On Dec. 17, Pacquiao will turn 34 and more celebrations are scheduled in General Santos City and Sarangani province, where he’s running unopposed for a second term as congressman.

Also in the bus, emblazoned  with his  image  and  a teaser  of  Pacquiao-Marquez 4, were several pastors, boxers Dodie Boy Peñalosa Jr. and Ernie Sanchez, who both won in the undercard of Saturday’s fight,  and  Michael Farenas, who put up a gallant losing stand against Yuriorkis Gamboa, as well as Filipino television crews.

Tough questions

Pacquiao now faces some of the toughest questions in his 17-year career—does his future lay in boxing, politics, show biz, religion, or is there a new challenge on the horizon?

“Being the king of boxing, being the highest paid athlete in boxing …  it goes with the territory,” boxing analyst Ed Tolentino said. “For Pacquiao, the fame was too much to handle. There was just too many things on his plate other than boxing.”

The distraction was costly for Pacquiao, who trained for only two months, compared to Marquez’s four and a half months.

During that time the Mexican fighter bulked up and became more muscular to withstand the Filipino’s trademark furious blows that were so damaging in their three earlier encounters, said boxing commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz.

Politicians, movie bit players and an assortment of hangers-on now form his huge entourage.

“You only need a Ferris wheel and his training camp would have been a circus,” Tolentino said.

“Among boxers, they don’t have the word retirement in their dictionary. It’s so hard to admit that all of sudden it’s over, especially for Pacquiao,” Tolentino said.

“His demotion was from the penthouse to the doghouse,” he added. “I think really there has to be a lot of soul searching. … He has to consult his family, his real entourage.” 

Pacquiao wins over Mayweather

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Score a win for Manny Pacquiao over Floyd Mayweather Jr.

A federal judge ruled Monday (Tuesday in Manila) that Mayweather has to pay Pacquiao more than $113,000 for intentionally dodging  deposition in the defamation suit filed by the Filipino champion and boxing’s only eight-division world champion last year.

According to Courthousenews.com,  Nevada Judge Larry Hicks ordered the WBC welterweight and WBA light middleweight champion to shell out $113,518.50 for attorneys’ fees and $774.10 for court costs Pacquiao incurred in the suit meant to clear his reputation.

Pacquiao had accused Mayweather, his father Mayweather Sr. and uncle Roger, of  maligning him by issuing statements alleging that he used performance-enhancing drugs to bolster his ring performances.

Finding the suit meritorious, Hicks ordered Mayweather to appear for deposition between June and October last year, but the unbeaten American snubbed the summons claiming that he was preoccupied with training.

Several articles, photos, and videos, primarily from TMZ, however, showed otherwise as Mayweather was seen at nightclubs, gallivanting and, worse, even burning a $100 bill.

These developments prompted Pacquiao’s lawyers to demand for sanctions against the five-division champion.

Though Hicks, in a ruling last October, refused to grant Pacquiao default judgment on the basis of the blatant disregard for deposition, he ordered Mayweather “to pay deposition costs and attorneys’ fees as a sanction.”

While the sanction may not put a hole in Mayweather’s pocket as he reportedly earned $85 million last year, it further diminished his already tainted character.

Last June, Mayweather was imprisoned in a Las Vegas jail for domestic violence.

Roach will change Pacquiao fight plan vs Marquez

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For trainer Freddie Roach, an overhaul of their fight straight strategy is in order if Manny Pacquiao is to finally knock Juan Manuel Marquez out on Dec. 8.

“We have Marquez three times using all kinds of strategy,” Roach told ringtv.craveline.com Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). “It’s time to throw logic out the window and start over.”

Roach wants Pacquiao to be much bolder and more relentless when he shows up for his fourth and last fight against the Mexican warrior at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“This time Manny will go after him like the first fight,” Roach said. “Manny told me he knows he needs a knockout. He’s never said that before.”

Having put Marquez on the canvas four times—three in the opening round of their first fight in 2004 and once in the third round of Pacquiao-Marquez II in 2008—Pacquiao definitely has the power to knock out Marquez.

Roach said he needs “to re-ignite the killer instinct Manny has lacked in the last (two) fights with Marquez,” whom he narrowly beat by split and majority decision, respectively.

There was neither fire nor anger in Pacquiao’s eyes when he dominated Timothy Bradley early on only to lay back and allow the unbeaten American to steal a split decision.

Pacquiao and Marquez, whom Roach described as “the smartest fighter of his era,” will promote their fight in Mexico City on Friday.

Pacquiao still favored over Marquez

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MANILA, Philippines - If Juan Manuel Marquez thinks that three close fights with Manny Pacquiao could earn him the nod of the oddsmakers he better think again.

The betting odds for the fourth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez are out, and the great Filipino boxer is out of the starting gates at -400.

 

This means that Pacquiao remains as the favorite in his never-ending rivalry against Marquez, who was listed initially at +300 in the fight line provided by American pubicist Fred Sternburg yesterday.

In layman’s terms, you need to put in $400 just to win $100 if you’re for Pacquiao. On the other hand, a wager of $100 wins $300 if you’re for Marquez.

When they met for the third time, then supposed to be the last one, last November, Pacquiao started out at -700 but went to as high as -900 and even higher.

Marquez was at +500 close to the fight, and if you’d base your thoughts on the odds, the only way the Mexican could win is if Pacquiao didn’t show up at the MGM Grand.

But Marquez, now 39 and almost six years older than Pacquiao, proved a lot of people wrong. He gave the world one hell of a fight, and many thought he won the fight.

Pacquiao and Marquez were in New York yesterday for the press tour, and by the end of the week they head separate ways, straight to their respective training quarters.

The next time they will meet is perhaps on the week of the fight, in cold December in glittery Vegas.

Marquez is once again out to prove these people wrong.

Pacquiao, Marquez look for KOs in 4th rivalry fight

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BEVERLY HILLS, California — Three compelling bouts in eight years haven’t resolved the rivalry between Pacquiao and Marquez, so they’re stepping in the ring together for a fourth bout on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

And this time, they’re both looking for the only decisive ending to any fight: a stone-cold KO.

“I want to erase the doubt of the last three fights,” Pacquiao said. “There’s so many people still asking if I won the fights. I think to myself, ‘Something is wrong. I have to do it again.’ This time, I will train hard to put this fight up in the history of boxing. I want to make this fight short. I want to knock him out.”

Although they’re extending a rivalry to rare lengths in modern boxing, the fighters and promoters believe fans will warm to the matchup when they remember just how good the first three fights were.

Pacquiao and Marquez fought to a draw in 2004, while Pacquiao won by split decision in 2008 and again by majority decision last year. The bouts featured knockdowns, wild momentum swings and fascinating contrasts in technique — but Marquez and many fans still believe he won all three fights, while Pacquiao says he clearly won the last two.

“It’s been an incredible ride,” Top Rank promoter Todd duBoef said. “People ask me whether it’s going to be hard to sell a fourth fight. Did you see the first 36 rounds? There wasn’t a dull moment.”

With a combination of unfinished business and unmatched financial reward, Pacquiao and Marquez both had plenty of incentive to get together again. They have fought at 125, 130 and 144 pounds, and their fourth fight will be a straight welterweight contest at 147.

Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) is coming off his first loss since 2005, a wildly disputed decision to Timothy Bradley. Still stinging from that embarrassment, he says he’s going back to the ferocious, relentless style of fighting that made him an eight-division champion. Pacquiao hasn’t stopped an opponent in more than three years, a once-unthinkable drought for a relentless puncher.

“I want to be the other Manny Pacquiao, like when I was 24, 25 years old,” Pacquiao said. “I want people who watch this fight to be satisfied. I don’t care about a belt. I don’t care about the money. I want the win.”

Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) has tested Pacquiao more than any opponent, with counterpunching skills and comprehensive boxing knowledge that can negate many of Pacquiao’s strengths. But Pacquiao also is a nightmare matchup for Marquez, whose relentlessness hasn’t been enough to overcome Pacquiao’s once-in-a-generation combination of speed and strength.

While Pacquiao has a plan to recapture his best form, Marquez believes the only way to be sure he’ll finally get his hand raised is to stop the Filipino congressman. Marquez swore off the rivalry and nearly retired in frustration immediately after Pacquiao’s victory last fall, but agreed to return after a few months to cool down.

“I won all of the last three fights,” Marquez said. “I would like the referee to raise my hand. Everybody knows I won the fights, and I don’t know what happened with the judges. I have to take it out of the judges’ hands this time.”

Pacquiao won’t train in Baguio, the high-altitude northern Philippines city where he has traditionally started training camp before heading to trainer Freddie Roach’s gym for the final few weeks.

Instead, Pacquiao and Roach will be in Hollywood for their entire training camp, dramatically reducing the number of distractions for the Philippines’ most famous person.

Pacquiao and Marquez will join the short list of rivalries that couldn’t be contained by a mere trilogy, including Sugar Ray Robinson’s six fights with Jake LaMotta and Robinson’s four bouts with Gene Fullmer. More recently, Israel Vazquez’s sensational rivalry with Rafael Marquez, Juan Manuel’s brother, extended to four fights, concluding with Marquez’s third-round stoppage of Vazquez in May 2010.

Pacquiao - Marquez 4 is confirmed

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LOS ANGELES - Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time on December 8, promoter Bob Arum confirmed on Friday, September 14.

Pacquiao and Mexico's Marquez will embark on a three-city international media tour touting the fight starting on Monday in Beverly Hills, California.

Between them Pacquiao and Marquez have won world titles in 12 weight divisions and they will add another chapter to their intense rivalry when they fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas -- scene of their first and third fights.

Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) was also in negotiations for a rematch against Tim Bradley, who claimed Pacquiao's welterweight world title with a controversial split-decision victory in Las Vegas on June 9.

Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto was also a possible opponent for Pacquiao, but he announced on Twitter last month that he would fight junior middleweight world champion Austin Trout on December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Pacquiao defeated Marquez in a majority decision in November -- a third gut-wrenching result for Marquez against his Filipino foe.

In the build-up to that fight, Marquez had taunted Pacquiao with claims that he was the true winner of their first two clashes -- a 2004 draw and a 2008 rematch that went to Pacquiao by a single point on a single scorecard. 

Bradley begging Pacquiao for a rematch

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 He sent the boxing world down laughing hoarse on the floor with an invitation to his rematch with Manny Pacquiao well ahead of their world welterweight championship fight in Las Vegas last June 9.

Sorry, but after the unthinkable happened, reigning world welterweight boxing champ Tim Bradley has been going through desperate times selling himself to Team Pacquiao.

Remember how Bradley had cried out that Pacquiao was scared of him.

That was indeed a dreadful way of selling Tim Bradley, the undefeated boxer.

Knowing the old Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing superhero would have jumped up and told tipsy Tim: “Lace on (those gloves) bum!”

* * *

Pacquiao, renewed, has remained unmoved.

Last heard of, Bradley was obviously on the bottom of the Pacman lottery list.

It’s like this. The announcement of Pacquiao’s next foe has been rescheduled again for early next week. Now, with Bradley feeling terribly threatened by Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez, not necessarily in that order, the (cheaply) assumed world welterweight title-holder has gone begging on his knees.

“Pacquiao can choose anyone he wants to fight, but I don’t know how he can pick anyone other than me,” Bradley told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times.

“I am the champion. If he wants the belt back, he has to come through me to get it. He relinquished it to me. Regardless of what everyone might think of how I beat him, I’ve got a win on my resume over Manny Pacquiao, and it’s going to be in the history books that way.”

* * *

Bradley was neither asking nor begging. He was already twisting other people’s arms in trying to sell his dubious worth.

Of course, he has a problem. Pacquiao didn’t have to be told it was not himself but the blind judges who relinquished the world crown to the often-retreating American.

Another thing: Pacquiao is fully aware that picking Bradley (as his next opponent) would be foul, dirty as approving of the June 9 fraud, the way the blind Nevada State Attorney General has swept the on-ring robbery of the century under the rug.

* * *

Continued salesman Bradley: “There [were] less than a million PPV buys last June 9, but we’ll meet a number everyone will be happy with because of the controversy. People know who I am now because of the controversy. I didn’t get crazy beat in that fight. It was competitive.”

Meanwhile, Pugmire added Bradley will report back to his Indio camp for the first time since the June 9 bout on Monday after his broken foot and twisted ankle had healed.

There was one commentary which yesterday stated Pacquiao handlers were being “super cautious because of how bad the Pacman’s last two fights have been.”

Of course, it’s also worth noting that the last bout did drag but only after Bradley, who had called Pacquiao scared, shifted to a cheap cowering mode in the second half.

Pacquiao fight date and opponent will be known soon

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MANILA, Philippines – After weeks of speculation, the fight date and opponent of Filipino boxing icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will be announced early this week, according to the fighter's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.
In an interview with Eight Count News last week, Arum revealed that they would decide on all the details by the weekend.
"I have had meetings with everyone and by Monday afternoon, we will announce the place, the opponent and the date," Arum said.
Pacquiao was initially scheduled to return to the ring on November 10, a date that has been in place since last June, even before his fight against Timothy Bradley.
But it was reported last week that the fight had to be moved to December 1 for various reasons, including Pacquiao's filing of candidacy for the upcoming elections.
"Don't go overboard on this statement that the fight has to be on December 1st because of Manny's election," Arum said.
"The election commission just ruled in the Philippines that Manny can authorize somebody to file for him. He doesn't have to be back in October. Manny can have an authorized representative file his papers for him," he added.
Arum confirmed that the November 10 fight date was still in play, but ended any speculation that Pacquiao could fight unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. this year.
"From what we best can gather, Mayweather is not going to fight this year," he said. "We hope to meet with them as soon as possible to work out an arrangement for a fight with him and Pacquiao for the spring of next year."
Pacquiao is choosing among rematches against Bradley, Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez and Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto.
He is coming off a stunning split decision loss against Bradley last June, which followed a controversial win over Marquez in November 2011.

Rajon Rondo admires Pacquiao's dedication and passion

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MANILA, Philippines – Rajon Rondo, the Boston Celtics' All-Star point guard, still remembers the first time he watched Filipino fight king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in action.
"I met Pacquiao a couple of years ago," Rondo related in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News Monday at the Titan basketball store. "I think he beat up (Miguel) Cotto really badly."
Rondo is referring to Pacquiao's crushing 12th round knockout victory over the Puerto Rican Cotto in 2009, which for many people solidified the Filipino's standing at the top of boxing's pound-for-pound list.
"I went back to the locker room, and I saw Cotto walking back, and then I saw Pacquiao come back and he was smiling," Rondo said. "So from that point on, I started watching his fights and following him."
Rondo, like many of his teammates in the Celtics, is a fan of Pacquiao. The admiration is mutual as Pacquiao is a well-known supporter of the Boston squad, even reportedly watching the team's Game 7 against the Miami Heat prior to his fight against Timothy Bradley last June.
"Definitely, definitely," Rondo said when asked if he was a fan of Pacquiao. "He actually autographed a couple of gloves for our entire team, so we're big fans of Pacquiao, big supporters."
Rondo said that he watches Pacquiao when he is featured on the HBO reality series "24/7" and admires the boxer's work ethic.
"It's his competitiveness. He works hard at what he does," Rondo said. "I've seen '24/7,' so I've seen the time that he puts in, and the dedication and the love and passion for his craft."
Rondo is visiting Manila for the first time to check out the local basketball scene as a prelude to the Philippine leg of Red Bull’s King of the Rock tournament, which will kick off next year.
He will conduct a skills clinic for top UAAP and NCAA players today, and watch the game between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws Wednesday.
Rondo will also be the guest of honor in the unveiling of a restored basketball court in Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City.

Pacquiao is No.2 athlete in Esquire magazine's list

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MANILA, Philippines – Filipino fight king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao is the second best athlete among all sportsmen active today, according to the Esquire magazine.
Esquire used a mathematical formula that takes into consideration the athletes' raw talent, achievements, as well as his "intangibles," with the values adding up to an athletes' total "greatness."
"We weigh factors not in one sport but many, calculating greatness according to a formula that's admittedly full of its own built-in biases, and applying it to an assortment of men and women often considered the best in their class," said Esquire's Garth Sundem.
Using the formula, Pacquiao ranked second with a total "greatness" measure of 77.09.
"The greatest boxer ever? Maybe, maybe not. His in-the-ring achievements alone might have landed him somewhere between five and ten on the list, but he also got a boost from the perceived difficulty of the sport itself," wrote Sundem.
Number one among the "best athletes right now" is tennis superstar Roger Federer, whose "greatness" is computed at 78.56.
"Not only can the Swiss star swing a racket unlike anybody else. He's something of an eagle scout to the sporting world, his charity far outstripping any scandal, and not a DUI in sight," wrote Sundem.
"Of course, seven Wimbledon wins and nine major sportsman-of-the-year awards don't hurt," he added.
At No. 3 is NBA superstar LeBron James (56.33), while Rafael Nadal (47.32) ranked fourth, and Tiger Woods (33.52) ranked fifth.
Pacquiao's nemesis outside the ring, Floyd Mayweather Jr., is ranked number 6, with a greatness measure of 31.35.
Rounding out the top 10 are: climber Conrad Anker (25.31), triathlete Chrissie Wellington (22.60), hockey star Sidney Crosby (22.05), and rodeo rider Trevor Brazile (21.15).
Below are the factors weighed by Esquire:
• MVP = number of times voted sport's MVP or athlete of the year
• Champ = number of major championships, max of one per year
• YouTube = number of hits on YouTube
• Google = Number of Google hits for name in quotes
• Charity = Google hits for name and "charity"
• Scandal = Google hits for name and "scandal"
• Forbes = money earned on Forbes 2011 richest athletes list
• SportSkill = Sport's rank on ESPN sports difficult list
• DUI.Assault = Number of first 10 Google hits for "name arrested" that describe real DUI or assault arrests

Pacquiao, Mayweather top athlete income earner

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NEW YORK – Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the boxers that fight fans worldwide want to see in the ring together, topped the list of the 100 highest-paid athletes released by Forbes magazine on Monday.

Mayweather, who ranked No. 1 for making $85 million off two fights last year, is serving a three-month jail sentence for domestic battery in Las Vegas, having failed in a bid to serve the remainder of his time under house arrest.

While his doctors and co-manager warned that staying behind bars might cause irreparable damage to his fitness and risk his boxing career, the undefeated US fighter is expected to climb back into the ring, likely later this year.

But Mayweather will not be fighting Filipino icon Pacquiao in the mega-bout that boxing fans have sought for years.

Pacquiao, second on the list at $62 million from earnings and endorsements, lost to unbeaten US fighter Tim Bradley on July 9 and they are set to fight a rematch in November.

Tiger Woods, who had topped the Forbes list since 2001, fell to third this time with $59.4 million, his earnings off $16 million from the previous year and by half since his peak in 2009, mostly due to lost endorsement deals.

It was in 2009 that Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus, saw a sex scandal erupt that caused him to start his 2010 season late and 2011 saw Woods nagged by injuries.

Woods went on a 17-month win drought until he won last March at Bay Hill in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He followed up with a victory earlier this month at the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial but has not won a major since the 2008 US Open.

Miami Heat star LeBron James ranks fourth at $53 million, the highest of 13 basketball players and on the list. The Heat are playing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals as James seeks his first league crown.

While a lockout last year trimmed 20 percent off his salary, endorsement deals boosted his total and a marketing partnership made him a stakeholder in English Premier League football side Liverpool.

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer was fifth at $52.7 million followed by NBA star Kobe Bryant at $52.3 million, US golfer Phil Mickelson at $47.8 million, English football star David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy at $46 million and Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo at $42.5 million, with the top annual salary of any athlete in any league at $20 million.

American football boasts 30 players on the list, topped by No. 10 Peyton Manning, the former Indianapolis Colts star who was cut in March and signed with the Denver Broncos for $96 million over six years.

Manning’s $42.4 million ranks 10th overall and he continues to be the top endorsement pitchman among gridiron stars.

In total, the top 100 made $2.6 billion.

Only two women, both tennis players, cracked the list – Russian star Maria Sharapova, the newest career Grand Slam winner after her French Open final triumph earlier this month, and China’s Li Na, the 2011 French Open champion.

Sharapova was 26th at $27.9 million, thanks in great measure to huge global endorsement totals as well as $5.9 million in prize money over the past year.

Li was 81st overall at $18.4 million, with seven new endorsement deals after becoming the first Asian-born player to win a Grand Slam singles crown.

Cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni ranked No. 31 and India batsman Sachin Tendulkar was No. 78.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the reigning 100- and 200-meter Olympic champion and world record-holder who figures to be a top attraction at the London Olympics, was 63rd with $20.3 million.

Pacquiao thinking of KO against Bradley

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LAS VEGAS—He’d never say it openly but Manny Pacquiao intends to knock out Timothy Bradley when they clash on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila).

The admission came from renowned trainer Freddie Roach in an interview with Manila-based sportswriters at the Top Rank Gym here.

“He talked about a knockout for the first time and said he would like to get a knockout,” said Roach, who will be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday.

“Usually he keeps it inside,” Roach said after Pacquiao’s workout on Thursday, his last before staking his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against the unbeaten American.

The new fire in Pacquiao’s belly sent Roach’s hopes soaring for a stoppage.

He wants Pacquiao to prove wrong those doubters and detractors who claim that Pacquiao’s speed and power are on the wane, following four straight decision wins.

And Roach thinks Bradley, young and aggressive, fits the bill.

“Manny will take him to school,” vowed Roach. “I know this is a big opportunity for him, but it came too soon.”

Lacks skill and experience

Roach said Pacquiao would expose the 28-year-old Bradley, who boasts as many wins as his age but has scored only 12 knockouts.

“Bradley is durable and resilient, but he still lacks the skill and experience. He has never fought at this (elite) level.”

After studying tapes of Bradley’s fights, Roach noticed that the WBO light welterweight king hasn’t changed much.

“He’s still the same and commits the same mistakes at the same time,” Roach said. “Manny will catch him early on and will knock him out.”

That’s because Roach believes Bradley will fight—not run—in their 12-round battle at MGM Grand Garden Arena. And the bout will make people forget Pacquiao’s unimpressive victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in November last year.

Though the Pacquiao camp had an equally great training camp for that last bout, Roach said things fell apart when Pacquiao’s mind went adrift in the five days before the fight.

Ready for the kill

Roach said he felt the lack of focus in Pacquiao when the champ did not smile when he came out of the dugout, and rushed things from the opening bell.

“His mind wasn’t there.” said Roach, who feels that Pacquiao, with his family around, is primed up for the kill this time.

Other ring experts say Pacquiao will come under much closer scrutiny than usual as he attempts to prove he is still at the height of his powers.

Patching up with Jinkee

The Filipino southpaw narrowly retained his title against Marquez after his preparations had been hampered by various distractions, including marital difficulties.

Pacquiao has since patched up his relationship with his wife Jinkee and has become a much more disciplined boxer after replacing his former pastimes of cockfighting, gambling and nightclubbing with increased bible study and family time.

“No more gambling, no more drinking,” the 33-year-old Pacquiao told Reuters.  “I just want to focus on my career, focus on praying and follow the commandments of God.”

New but good distractions

Asked what had gone wrong for him against the experienced Mexican Marquez, Pacquiao replied: “I am not going to win a good fight all the time. Sometimes a fight comes where I will win after a hard time, and that time was during the last fight.”

He then added: “I was in 100 percent physical condition for that fight but I did have some family issues that I had to deal with. I also underestimated him.”

Roach has no doubt that his fighter, who has been installed by Vegas bookmakers as a 4-1 favorite and who has a career record of 54-3-2 with 38 knockouts, will be at his best against Bradley.

“I am very happy with Manny’s focus,” Roach said. “His focus is the best I have ever seen. Manny got rid of a lot of distractions in his life and he has some new distractions that are a lot better than the old ones.”

Speed and power

Roach explained why he didn’t think the fight with Bradley would last the distance.

“Bradley comes forward and is very aggressive,” said Roach. “He is a well-conditioned athlete and we know we are in for a tough fight. I don’t think we have fought anybody that muscular.

“But I think he will be overwhelmed by Manny’s speed and power. It’s going to be a great fight as long as it lasts. Manny wants to prove he’s not all done like some people say.”

Bradley will be fighting for only his second time at 147 pounds but he firmly believes he has a much greater incentive than his opponent.

‘All or nothing’

“I’m going to put it all on the line on Saturday,” said Bradley, who won his first world title at light welterweight by defeating Britain’s Junior Witter in 2008. “This is not his biggest fight, it’s my biggest fight. It’s all or nothing.”

The eloquent and eminently likeable Bradley was clear-cut about his best strategy against Pacquiao.

“I know that I’ve got to stay tight, I’ve got to stay behind a good jab and I’ve got to keep moving,” he said. “I’ve got to have great defense and I’ve got to counterpunch the hell out of this guy with combinations.”